Saturday, January 11, 2014

Severed Ties by Angie Skelhorn: Interview and Excerpt

In 1996 I started writing by documenting rituals, spells and incantations, how and the results.

Has someone been instrumental in inspiring you as a writer?

My relationship with clairvoyant Joan Kennedy has been one of the most powerful, beneficial and magical I've experienced. For many years we met, talked, laughed and exchanged readings. Her penetrating insight and wisdom offered encouraging, helpful guidance for me to make positive changes in my personal, professional and spiritual life.

The readings I received over the years were done with purpose and intention and were more than mere entertainment to me. Her awe-inspiring prophecy told me after I write, read, re-write and re-read, attempting to adequately edit my stories I'd become a published writer.

Has someone helped or mentored you in your writing career?

My Aunt Donna a retired Secretary/Typist enthusiastically jumped in from the beginning and was especially generous with her time and guidance.She read everything I wrote – cover letters, plots, and excerpts and offered editing advice to polish my work.

Tell us about your current release.

By the use of divination and magic, some ties can never be severed.

Severed Ties tells a tale of Frankie, Sandra and Candice, born in a small town, which grow up practicing witchcraft. Candice at the age of thirteen moves away with her parents. Four years later Frankie, during dream time, and Sandra, from a missing person's ad discover Candice is missing.

Sandra and Frankie pack their bags and head to the inner city. There they meet Calvin who offers workable ideas to help with their mission. Sandra and Frankie after consulting tarot, ordinary playing cards, astrology, and spell-casting, set forth to free Candice from the dangerous situation she is in.

Frankie applies Sandra's well thought out spells to attempt to save their friend through her addiction and her destructive living circumstances.

Tell us about a favorite character from a book.

Severed Ties has plenty of characters with different points of view.Even though Frankie is the hierarchy of characters my favorite would be Sandra.She is tough, in charge, unique and caring.

When Frankie becomes frustrated and doubts her abilities as a witch, it is Sandra who gives her faith to accomplish what they intend to do.

Is there one passage in your book that you feel gets to the heart of your book and would encourage people to read it?If so, can you share it?

Frankie had a hard time keeping herself together. “Candice doesn’t look like Candice anymore. She suffers,” she cried. “We need to help her, we have to!”

“There is always light in the darkness. We will find a way to save our friend,” Sandra said, her voice thick with sleep. “For now, we can circle her and ourselves with white light energy to protect us from the dark energy. Take my hands in yours.”

Sandra put her hands out, palms facing upward, arms bent.

A dim light from the street lit their space. The sound from the traffic outside robbed them of silence. Frankie sat comfortably upright. Her hands rested over Sandra’s palms, so they faced each others. The two girls closed their eyes and concentrated on their intended goal of asking Higher Powers for protection.

Sandra, consumed by Frankie’s tension, opened her eyes. “You need to focus your positive energy on the task at hand. Tune in to your breathing, become aware of the rhythm,” she said.

Frankie closed her eyes, breathed deeply, and relaxed to connect with Sandra’s energy. Her palms became very hot and tingly as their energy rose.

The two girls, in unison, said a short prayer to request protection. “I ask in the name of my Spirit Guide and all that is good.Please, grant me my request. Please, may no evil or wicked curse, chant or blast, take hold of me and my beloved friends. Love is our law, love is our bond. Love is what surrounds me, and my beloved friends. Love is what holds and keeps us together.”

What is the hardest part of writing your books?

Writing a book can be a daunting task, trying to create a compelling manuscript, from start and finished. It's always difficult transforming my ideas into good writing - organizing thoughts, creating characters, crafting realistic dialogue, solving the mysteries to good grammar to build solid stories. The process can be overwhelming, time-consuming, and exasperating to find the perfect word, sentence and paragraph. I experience satisfaction in the final draft.

What do you think makes a good story?

If the story speaks directly to the reader, they will read the book.

Tell us about your next release.

My contemporary women's fiction book At the Edge is accepted for publication by Eternal Press.

About the book:

There is support from the unseen to guide our lives on earth.

Carm, a whole-some farm girl marries her first love, and then abandoned everything she knows. After six weeks of marriage, when a devastating storm kills her husband, she’s a widow. In a strange city, torn by her loss, young, scared and no resources she begins to live a life she wasn’t ready for. Her emotions extremely low, and to make it comfortable to live in her own skin she turns to drugs and alcohol to self medicate. She is pushed to the edge as her relationships become tremulous.

Haunted by her deceased husband and an introduction to Gretchen, a witch helps her to see past the darkness. Carm discovers with the aid of witchcraft how to accept the past, celebrate the present, and anticipate the future.

New York or LA? Why?

Hands down I would fly to L.A., because my sister Victoria lives in Santa BarbaraCA., with her husband.

Where are your fans most likely to find you hanging out?

I can be found at a standard-bred race track.I love horses and on race nights out of town I groom the magnificent animals when asked.

What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

I am a down to earth, sweatshirt, jeans, and running shoes kind of woman.When people discover I am a witch, spiritualist and a published writer tends to catch them by surprise.

Do you have a Website or Blog?

Here is where you can find me on the web. Stop by share with friends, family and the world. Thank you.

BOOK INFORMATION

Title: Severed Ties

Author: Angie Skelhorn

Genre: Paranormal/YA

Publisher: Damnation Books

Release Date: Dec 1 2012

Edition/Formats Available In: E~Book & Print

Synopsis:

By the use of divination and magic, some ties can never be severed.

In the beginning, by the light of the Full Moon, Frankie connects with Candice's energy through dream time and witnesses her involvement in a terrifying act of violence. After receiving information from Sandra that their childhood friend is missing, they pack their bags and head to the inner city to find her.

Frankie, afraid for her own safety, has a chance encounter with a local named Calvin who is plugged into what's happening. Using his workable ideas—as well as Frankie and Sandra consulting tarot, ordinary playing cards, astrology, and spell-casting—they set forth to free Candice from the dangerous situation she is in.

Excerpt

She paused,
as if slightly stunned.She had no
reason to believe Candice’s situation would change.“You delude yourself with unrealistic
demands.Freeing our friend has turned
out to be far more difficult than expected.First and foremost, I can’t get close to her.She is oblivious to me.I tried to capture her attention but my task
could not be accomplished.The transfer
of thoughts between minds failed.”

Frankie
fought to keep her voice calm.“I felt
the energy build up within myself.I
composed a short and direct thought.I
sent out a strong flow of thought energy from my third eye.The surge quickly evaporated.I couldn’t control the message, the energy
scattered.”

Sandra sank
back into the couch cushion and exhaled.“Well, you might have been more successful had you been closer.If the place was really busy their thought
energy would cancel out yours.Plus, I’m
sure she couldn’t receive your thought message, the cord has been severed.She’d not tuned in.Her deep drug addiction fuels her.We need to cast a spell so she will come to
you.”

Author Information

My name is Angie Skelhorn and I live in Canada. My interest include tarot, and other forms of divination, astrology, spirituality, mythology and harness racing. I gear my writing toward Witchcraft and Spiritualism. I've been published in Circle Sanctuary Magazine and online at Witchvox, WitchesandPagans.com and GlobalGoddess.org.

I authored No Reins and Till Death and Beyond - Publisher, Club Lighthouse Publishing. My newest release is Severed Ties - Publisher, Damnation Books- book launch December 1, 2012.

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